The National tribune., 1887-11-10
A MIX OF "TAYLORS."
Comrade SeslIn Tries 10 Identify the Prisoner
Heretofore Referred 20.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: i have con-
Guided that / must have been mistaken as TO
the given name Of the Comrade Taylor who
was with us one week on our flight from prison
in the early part Of the year 1864. i may have
been mistaken also as to the company he be-
longed TO, but surely j am correct IS TO the
regiment, viz, I'd Mass. Cav. / am informed
by letter recently received from Charles o..
WEIGH, Salem, Mass, member of the I'd Mass.
Cav, that there We're seven TaylOrs in that
regiment.
From the rather strange and peculiar cir
cumstances surrounding this case, the actions
aud sayings of the Taylor whom we left behind
the night of Feb. 26, 1864. i am constrained to
believe that he was either Archibald Taylor or
George Taylor, both of whom enlisted March
10, 1868, at the ages Of % and % years respect
lively. in Co. NJ, "a Mass Cav. Archie enlisted
at Dutch Flat, Cal, and George at San Fran
cisco, same State. Archie, il seems, is accounted
for as having died in Savannah, Ga, in Septem-
Der, 1864, and George is accounted for as having
deserted May 10, 1863.
Three Of the other FIVE Taylors enlisted in
the ID Mass. Cav. at dates subsequent TO our
leaving our comrade, viz, June 10. April %
and Nov. 90 1864, respectively; so il could not
have been either Of these three that we left.
The given names Of these three were Thomas,
Thomas j. and Samuel, respectively. The re-
manning two OF the seven TaylOrs were Alex.
IL. aud John, aged p and - years. Alex. IL.
enlisted at Boston April 9, 1863, and was dis
charged April IA, 1865; cause, disability. John
enlisted in California March z, 1863, and was
discharged July 20, 1866, by expiration of term
of serviR. Ii is hardly probable that either OF
these two was the one we left.
Ii is quite possible. even probable, that the
man we left died at or near the place where we
left him. III he did die there, then it could not
have been Archie. who is reported as having
died at Savannah, Ga, the following September.
It. III. Merry, Of Hueneme, Ventura Co, CAL,
a member of Go. J., 2d Mass Cav, in a letter 10
me under date Of May 90, 1887, says: 81 In Co.
J. we had a man, John Taylor. He is reported
missing My recollection Of him Is that he was
captured somewhere near Ashby's Gap in the
Blue Ridge, and never heard of afterwards"
Now, Welch and Merry do not agree in re-
spect TO John Taylor. Welch says he was dis
charged July 90, 1865, by reason of expiration
of term, etc, and Merry accounts for him as
above. If Merry is correct, il might have been
John that we left behind. If George Taylor
deserted May 10, 1863 or was captured about
that time, he may have been the man we lett |;
and il he deserted, that fact would furnish a
reason why he persisted in being left alone.
The man we left said he was captured in July.
1863. From good authority quote: 1868,
July -, Ashby Gap, Va. I'd Mass. Cav; Union,
two killed, eight wounded" 1t does not say
that any were captured. however, as Merry
suggests Any comrade who thinks he can
throw any light on this case, please write TO
The NATIONAL TRIBUNE or 10 me.-W. ii.
NEwLIN, Danyille, Ill.